Process for producing sheet-metal forms for floors.



T. H. KANE. PROGESS FOR PRODUCING SHEET METAL FORMS FOR FLOORS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1913.

1,085, 13 1, Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

TFWWTf FTTW TWTT WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATEnT onri isn.

meme Hflmtrxeun, 0F YOUNGSTOWN, oHIof ASSI'GNOR; 'ro raossno-oouoimrnsrnnr, COMPANY, or nn'rxorr, MICHIGAN, a oon'ronArIoN or MICHIGAN.

ma roe PRODUCING sneer-METAL roams roa rations Specification of Letters ratent. Patented'Jan. 27, 1914.

Original application filed February 3,1913, Serial No. 745,847. Divided and this application filed April 23,

. 191B. Serial.No. 763,044.

- To all whom it may concern:

Forms for Floors, ofwhich the following is a specification. r

This invention relates to the production of sheet metal means for forming air spaces inconcrete slabs, and its object is a process which will produce forms of open box-like shape which shall be of great stifi'ness, and which can be readily and cheaply carried out.

' This application is a division of my prior application Serial Number 745,847, dated February 3, 1918, which now contains claims to the construction of the sheet metal forms. "This improved process consists in submitting a sheet of corrugated metal to dies to bend the same to an open box-like shape having corrugated sides and top; and then producing deep ribs in the top transversely thereto, thereby drawing a portion of the metal of the corrugations into said ribs and It also consists in forming braces between the top and sides and integral therewith.

It further consists in longitudinally corrugating the metal of the top between the deep transverse ribs.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is an edge view of a corrugated sheet of metal from which the desired forms may be made by my novel process. Fig. 2 is a plan of a completed form. Figs. 3 and-4 are'sections on the lines 3-'3 and 4-4; of Fig. 2

respectively.v Fig. 5 is a plan of a form produced by this process when carried out to include the final step oflongitudinally corrugating the top between the deep ribs.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The metal forms shown in the'drawings may be produced by hand or by machinery from corrugated sheets 1, by successive operations of several machines or by a single stroke of one press; by presses having their parts moving vertically or horizontally; by presses that have the male member or the female member or both members movable. When a single ress is used to produce these .forms, the malemember will have transverse grooves to receive cross bars on the female member, and grooves across the corners to receive corresponding tongues on the female member of the dies. -The face views of the male dles will be the same as the top views of the forms shown in Figs. 2 and 5, dependmg upon the form desired, the latter having longitudinal corrugations between the deep ribs. The female dies will be made to receive the male and be spaced therefrom at all points substantially the thickness of the metal to be operated upon, plus the usual additional amount of clearance.

Large quantities of sheet-metal forms' have been manufactured with corrugated tops and sides, and'it has been found that under certain conditions, the tops sag down and the desired anglestbetween the tops and sides are not properly retained, resulting in an excessive amount of concrete being used and also resulting in the joists between the forms being of improper cross-section. In

order. to prevent the tops 2 from sagging, they may be provided with deep transverse rlbs 3, at desirable- Intervals. The metal to form these ribs is supplied by the adjacent corrugations being pulled out flat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the othercorrugations 5 usually remaining, even if in reduced form. Thus a rib one and one-half inches deep is easily formed in a sheet having semi-cylindrical corrugations spaced one inch apart. The metal between the ribs is preferably arched transversely of the form, as shown in Fig. 4, as the concrete at the middle of the form need not be so thick as at the edges.

In addition to the transverse ribs 3, the diagonal braces 4 may be-formed by draw- ;ing the corrugations of the top and sides down substantially fiat at both sides of these braces. These braces are preferably pressed-in intermediate the transverse ribs and serve to stiffen the top between the transverse ribs. The lower edges of the sides remain corrugated. n

' In addition' to rendering 'these forms very stiff, and so capable of carrying heavy loads with but little deflection, the grooves produced by pressing in the ribs and braces constitute pockets to receive tongues of concrete and thus key the concrete and the 'forms together. As all the corrugations remain at the lower edges of the sides, and only a portion of them taper down into substantially flat surfaces at the\sides ofthe braces 4, the supporting power of the sides 1s,sca'rcely diminished through the forming of the braces.

In certain cases, it may bedesirable that the metal of the.'top between the deep ribs S-be corrugated transversely of these ribs,

as shown by the corrugations 6 in Figs. 5

and 6. This'will stifien those portions of the forms, and is accomplished by stretching the metal, usually at the final movement of the press.

The process of producing these forms consists of first corrugating the sheet as shown in Fig. 1; then bending the sheet to produce an open box-like shape; then stretching the metal to form the ribs 3 and braces 4, employing the excess metal of the adjacent corrugations;. and finally, if desired. the metal between the ribs 3 is stretched to produce the corrugations 6.

I claim:

1. The process for producin sheet metal forms of open box-like shape Tor floor construction which consists in first completely corrugating a sheet of metal without stretching the same, then bending the sheet to produce the top and sides of the form, and then acting upon the sheet by means of dies having ribs and corresponding grooves to draw portions of the corrugated metal 'into deep ribs extending downwardly from the top and transversely to the sides.

2. The process for producing sheet metal forms of open box-like shape for floor construction which consists in bending a corrugated sheet to produce the top and sides of the form, and then acting upon the form by means of a die having transverse and corner ribs and a second die having corresponding grooves, to drawportions of the corrugated metal into deep ribs extending inwardly transversely of the top and inwardly at the corners between the top and the sides.

' 3. The process for producing sheet metal forms for floor construction, consisting in corrugating a sheet of metal without stretching the same, bending the samealong parallel lines at right angles to the corrugations to form sides and a top, and then pressing in parallel portions of the top to form deep depending ribs and thereby flattoning the metal at each side of the ribs.

4. The process for producing sheet metal forms 'for floor construction, consisting in corrugating a sheet of metal without stretching the same, bending the same at an angle to the corrugations to form sides and a top, then pressing in portions of the top to form deep depent ing ribs and thereby flattening the metal at each side of the ribs, and finally stretching the metal of the top between the ribs to form corrugations extending longitudinally of the form.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

THOMAS HENRY KANE.

Witnesses H. B. JONES, H. B. FOLSOM. 

